Spark-controller for explosive-engines.



PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907. L. W. TURNBULL.

SPARK CONTROLLER FOR BXPLOSIVB ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. LUKE W. TURNBULL, OF PORT HIEoYEOHIOAnASsIGNOR TO WAT ENGINE COMPANY, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

SPARK-CONTROLLER FOR EXPLOSiVE-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 26,1907.

Application filed Novemb 25. 1905- Serial No. 289,134.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUKE W. TURNpULL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of thecity of Port Huron, county of St. Clair, and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Controllers forExplosive-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact specificat1on. I

This invention relates to spark-controllers for explosive engines, and especially to 'meansfor advancing or retarding the spark,

which is of the jumpty'pe,' so that it may occur at anydesired moment in relation to the instant of greatest compression in the engine-cylinder. 1

One feature of the device is the fact that the operator can reverse the engine by the movement of a single switch-handle, and desirable eliminations of wearing parts and joints are also obtained through its use. The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. r I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side etpvation of a spark-controller embodying t e plie to a single or unit cylinder of a twocycle explosive-engine, Its use with a fourcyele engine occasions reversin valve-gear,

which isnotin itself a part of t e invention, and consequently such-type of engine is not herein illustrated. Fig. .2 is a view in partial section online' 2 2 .of Fig. 1 with the switchlever turned at right angles to its positionin Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of an engine-cylinder and its electrical connections through the controller.

Referring to the drawings, Arepresents a vertical cam-shaft, whose upperend is convenientlyjournaled in a bracket-bearing B, whose inner end e maybe secured to the en-' gine frame-or cylinder, said shaft being driven by anypositive connection with the en ine working for a horizontal flanged disk C, concentric 'with the shaft and provided with a latchethandle 0-. The bracket is also horizontally, flanged to 'aiford'support for an insulating an explosion before the engine has passed its plate D, of suitable inaterialmetal, line principal features of the invention as ap-' parts, so as to rotate in sync o-g vnism with the engine-cycle. Said bearing bracket B is coun'terbored to afford a bearlng ratchets forthe handle-latch c. The up 1' 'margin of the insulatin -plate is providlsd with three segmental -p ates E, F, and G,

which are electrically connected, as by wires H passing through the insulating-plate, and

are in sliding contactwith a lug c on the handle C.

A terminal binding-post I is secured in the for a suitably-disposed spring-arm L, which is swept by the point of a horizontal cam'M, secured on the cam-shaft A. A secondterminal binding-post O at one end of the interconnected segments E, F, .and G is also provided.

In operating the device the terminalJ is connected toone of the poles Qofthe primary coils of an induction-coil. Theother termi-. nal O is likewise connected, as through the lead P, to the other primary ole B. This lead may also serve to connect. t es'econ'dary pole S ofthe coil to the binding-post or" a se a rate lead may he used. It is evident tliat this connection grounds this limb of the circuit with the engine in the usual manner. The other terminal U of the secondarycoil is connected by the leadVto the en inc-plug Z,

it being understood that the spar ing plug is of the jump type. l

The cam, cam-shaft terminals, and disk are sodisposed that when the engine is runnin in one direction the turning of the late let-handle to the point indicated by the arrow W causes the spark to occur, through the contacting of the spring-arm and campoint, at the moment of greatest com ression or at the moment of greatest ve ciency.

iWhen the lever-handle is turned beyond this point, the spark occurs before the greatest 0on1 ression and before the piston has reac ed the 'end of its stroke, so that it causes a retarding of the engine. At full s eed thiswould probably fracture the cyliner.' Accordingly a gap is made in the segments, so that by advancing the lever-latchet past the middle segment to this gap the cur rent'is. shut off, the spark arrested, and the engine allowed to slowdown. vWhen it reaches a reasonably safe speed, the lever 1s pushed over onto segment G, thereby causing dead-center,thus fstopping and reversing the engine atthis point. The latchet is then quickly thrown back to the arrmv-point X,

which is the point of greatest efficiency for the reverse rotation of the engine, and held there until it is desired to stopor reverse, when the gap between the segments E and F affords the samemeans as does the other lap. Obviously shifting the lever back and- .orth on the central segment F advances or retards the spark in relation to the moment of greatest compression in the usual manner, so as to vary the engine speed, thereb} affording perfect control of the engine. The device. also cuts in'and out the batter v-cir- Jc'uit, so that it is in only at instant of use.

.Of course a mechanical generator may be -'iised, the controller being inserted in the circuit in the usual manner.

The special design and shown herein may be changed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and l the controller to be used with a four-cycle cn 'ine.

T claim as mv invention 1. A spark-controller comprising in combination with a jump-spark plug one terminal of which is connected with the current-generator, and the other terminal of which is grounded on the engine, of a cam grounded on the engine, rotating in synchronism with the engine-cycle,- a contact-point insulated from the engine and cam, intermittently contacting with the cam, a shifting-lever carrying the contact-point and insulated therefrom, adapted to shift the time of contactof construction the cam'and point in relation to the moment of greatest compression of the engine, and a terminal connected with the current-generator in the other limb from the spark-plug, having sliding contact with the shifting lever and cut-out points on which said lever rests when it has passed the positions cor' responding to the moment of greatest compression of the engine-cycle.

2. A spark-controller comprising a camshaft rotating in unison with the engine, and grounded therewith, a cam secured on the shaft, a shifting-lever rotatable on the shaft, a contact-point carried by the lever, insulated therefrom, periodically contacting with the cam, a terminal having sliding contact with the shifting-lever, having cut-out points on which the lever rests when it has passed the positions corresponding to the moments of greatest compresi-ai n of the en gine, said sliding terminal being connected with the ground-limb of the generator-circuit, and said contact-point with the other limb.

3. A spark-controller comprising a camshaft rotating in synchronism with the engine, a cam secured near one end thereof, a bearing for the shaft near the cam secured to and grounded with the engine, a shifting lever rotatable on the shaft and bearing, a

ispring-contact insulated from and carried bv the lever, contacting periodically with the 0am, an insulating-disk secured. on the bearing, and electricallyconnected segmental plates secured on the face of the disk having sliding contact with the shifting-lever, said cam, contact-point, a lever and segments being disposed so that the lever lies between adjacent segments when it has passed the position corresponding to the moment of greatest compression of the engine.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing wit- LUKE \V. TL' l-ZXBULL. Witnesses:

E. S. Posr, C. R. STICKNEY. 

